What Is Heat Treating?

The Heat-Treatment program for Export Wood Packaging has been in place since the inception of the European Union’s Emergency Measures in October 2001. These measures required coniferous wood packaging to be heat-treated to a minimum core temperature of 56 degrees celcius for 30 minutes. Hardwood packaging was not required to meet this heat requirement.

Around the same time, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) was developing their Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade (also known as ISPM 15). This international standard requires packaging regardless of species to meet the 56/30 heat requirement. This standard is readily available for adoption by countries choosing it as their import standard for wood packaging material.

Timber Products Inspection provides nationwide audit services for manufacturers within the U.S. in order to be ISPM 15 compliant. The manufacturer will be issued a stamp under the oversight of Timber Products to apply to their compliant export wood packaging. A Timber Products representative will make 12 unannounced audits a year at this facility in order to monitor the activity.

WHY USE HEAT TREATED WOOD?
The primary reason for heat treating pallets and all non-manufactured wood packaging is to help prevent the spread of environmentally harmful insects such as the pinewood nematode and the emerald ash borer. These insects are responsible for destroying many trees across our country and others. The heat treating process kills the insects to prevent them from spreading.